“Over to You”, was the name of this program that must have been on cable television. The segment was called “Titanic: a Survivor’s Tale.”

A school teacher in England, whose name was not recorded, conducts an interview with Eva Hart on the 75th anniversary of the sinking of the Titanic in 1987. His skills are limited and she is annoyed by his handling of questions, but the information is riveting for Titanic enthusiasts.

Eva Hart was a seven-year-old child when she was traveling on the Titanic with her parents, Benjamin and Esther Hart. They were a Jewish family from Ilford, England, and were on their way to a future in Winnipeg, Canada. Her father, Benjamin, had a trusted friend who had returned to Ilford on vacation in 1911. He was full of stories of his wonderful life in Winnipeg. In this interview, Eva recalls that her father immediately seized upon the plan to move to Canada. He sold his business in construction, and set the path for their future in Winnipeg.

They were to have traveled on a different ship, in the spring of 1912, but the coal strike in England placed them on the Titanic instead. Her father was delighted, and her mother was petrified by a premonition of danger. She chose to sleep in the day time and stay fully clothed and sitting up at night. Eva tells the story as she remembers it.

Eva’s father stayed with the ship while she and her mother entered lifeboat 14. Eva and her mother were rescued and returned to England, to stay with her mother’s family. Her father disappeared with Titanic. His body was never recovered.

Throughout her life, Eva remained outspoken on her views that the wreck site was a grave that should never be disturbed.

In this interview, she also recalled her father’s shipboard friendship with Lawrence Beasley, another survivor, who became famous for his book about the disaster.

The interview is presented in three parts.

If anyone has any information on the friend in Winnipeg who persuaded Benjamin Hart to leave Britain, I would be very interested in hearing from you.

Following are the final two segments of the interview with Eva Hart in 1987.

As we approach the anniversary of the sinking of Titanic, many researchers are looking for sources that help tell the stories of the survivors. Eva Hart and her parents were on their way to Winnipeg, Canada from Ilford, England. Reposted by request from followers.

Ravenscraig by Sandi Krawchenko Altner launched as a bestseller

in paperback fiction in Winnipeg. The romantic, gripping story pitches rich against poor in a booming frontier city in the early 1900s, culminating on the Titanic with the story of Winnipeg’s Fortune family. Learn more about the book and see the book trailer by clicking on the cover image.

Praise for Ravenscraig

“Ravenscraig is superb. It is a book that almost seems to have been written specifically for me, involving Jewish immigrants who resemble what my great-grandparents were like, and reflecting the attitude and hope that I have in life.” ~Louis Kessler, past president, Jewish Heritage Centre of Western Canada